After the Fact

Scientists at Work: Craig Mello on the Mysteries of Genetic Code

Welcome to “After the Fact,” a new podcast from The Pew Charitable Trusts that brings you data and analysis on the issues that matter to you. Experts from Pew and other special guests discuss the numbers and trends shaping some of society’s biggest challenges, then go beyond the facts with nonpartisan analysis and action.

In each episode, you will hear from various experts on a range of topics and pressing policy issues with our host, Dan LeDuc.

Stat: Four. That’s how many letters in the DNA
alphabet make up every living thing.

Story: How does genetic information transmit
across generations? While trying to find out, scientists Craig
Mello and Andrew Fire quite by accident made a discovery in 1998
that would earn them a Nobel Prize—and pave the way for the first
drug to take on harmful genes. Pew’s Dan LeDuc talks with Mello
about science’s surprises.

About the Podcast

Join experts from The Pew Charitable Trusts and other special guests for the story behind the numbers and trends shaping some of society’s biggest challenges. Whether it’s data on the financial plight of American families or research on how to protect the environment, you’ll hear evidence-based—and nonpartisan—conversations as we go after the facts that can inform, enlighten, and expand your worldview.